Pitching

[Sneds]

I played on Wednesday and it was painfully obvious that I ha no idea how to pitch the ball effectively. I hit it fat 3 times in a row on what should have been a relatively simple 30 yard pitch.

So, how do you pitch?

 

[CrapHacker]

On a 30 yarder ?

If I use too much arm with no shoulder turn, I tend to fat it.

So I concentrate on moving my left shoulder, like for my putting stroke

Dunno if that's actually good logic, but I get better contact.

 

[JT77]

Had a lesson a few weeks back on this as I was hitting it fat, it was because I am very wristy which causes my inconsistancy as not enough turn either. Anyway, on shorter pitches I have tried to minimise wrist action, keep my head down and turn through. Also using a shorter back swing to encourage me to get through the ball without decelerating. Still working on it though, but has helped me. Sounds like quite a lot, but think thats because I was all to cock on it before like! lol

 

[CrapHacker]

PS

I'm also pretty good at thinning them as well, btw

 

[Sneds]

So you'd just set up as a normal shot? I had a quick look on YouTube and there are some very conflicting videos.

I think I had the ball middle of my stance and gripped the club lower.

 

[JT77]

I grip down the shaft for more control, narrow my stance and play the ball back a bit, just in front of my right big toe.

 

[haplesshacker]

I imagine how I would throw the ball underarm with my dominant hand, right hand in this case. I'd picture the amount of swing required, the 'follow through', where it's going to land and how it's likely to roll out.

I then choke down a bit on the club, ball in middle to just back of middle and try to recreate that same feeling that I imagined.

Only to fat, thin, shank the damn thing!!

The key is that you don't scoop at the ball. You wouldn't do that if you were to throw the ball underarm. And you wouldn't let go if the ball to early on the 'downswing'.

Visualisation may not work for you, but it has helped my short game no end.


Usual caveats apply. I'm not a Pro, expert, any good, etc!!

 

[Kellfire]

I adopt a very putting like stroke if I have a straight approach, generally using my 47* Mizuno as I feel I have the most control of height v run off with that club. If I need to carry an obstacle, I get a bit more wristy and trying to driving down on the ball a lot more, using a higher lofted club.

 

[CrapHacker]

So you'd just set up as a normal shot?

TBH coz I'm trying to sort out one particular problem I just set up similar to my putting stance, with the weight fairly even. I try to keep as comfortable as possible pre shot, because if I start to think , 'weight forward, ball back, grip not too tight, etc etc, then the tension starts coming in to it , and the shoulders tighten up.

I try to relax, visualise where I want the ball to land, and then hit it.

It's obviously not th ecorrect answer, but I'm trying to sort out the contact first

 

[Region3]

Not sure if it's how a teacher would recommend, but this is how I try to do it...

• 
  grip about halfway down the grip
  open my stance quite a bit and narrow it to only a few inches
  ball off my back foot
  break my wrists very early
  keep my hands ahead of the ball
  keep the back of my left hand pointing at the target on the follow through
  try to keep the lower half of my body as still as possible.

For a chip and run around the green I try to use the same method except I don't break my wrists, only use my arms.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not sure if it's how a teacher would recommend, but this is how I try to do it...

• 
  grip about halfway down the grip
  open my stance quite a bit and narrow it to only a few inches
  ball off my back foot
  break my wrists very early
  keep my hands ahead of the ball
  keep the back of my left hand pointing at the target on the follow through
  try to keep the lower half of my body as still as possible.

For a chip and run around the green I try to use the same method except I don't break my wrists, only use my arms.

I'm pretty similar to you except I have the ball more in the middle of the stance, don't break the wrists very much and rotate my body through the ball. I was taught to treat it as a mini golf swing and so you want a certain amount of turn back and through.

 

[bobmac]

Not sure if it's how a teacher would recommend, but this is how I try to do it...

• 
  grip about halfway down the grip
  open my stance quite a bit and narrow it to only a few inches
  ball off my back foot
  break my wrists very early
  keep my hands ahead of the ball
  keep the back of my left hand pointing at the target on the follow through
  try to keep the lower half of my body as still as possible.

For a chip and run around the green I try to use the same method except I don't break my wrists, only use my arms.

What he said ^
I would also have my weight more on my front foot and ALWAYS try and take a divot.
If you're having trouble, place a head cover a foot behind the ball and try and miss it on both the backswing and downswing.
If you're still duffing them, cross your right leg over your left then swing. That will stop you swaying
And....never quit on it

 

[Region3]

There's a pic of murph in the Cooden thread which is pretty much what I try to do, except I try it in boring clothes

 

[RGDave]

I'm good from short/medium distance (even if I say it myself) and terrible on medium/long. For me, it's all about how close either of these swings are to either a full short or a basic "no-wrist-break" shot. So a 3/4 wedge, no trouble or a 1/4 wedge, also, easy.
What I notice is folk struggling with 1/2 shots, they (not necessarily you) seem to try and "cut down" a full swing and end up decelerating and fatting it.
I guess, if you set up half a dozen balls 10 yards short of the green, you'd simply play a stiff wristed crisp shot with a short swing. Make this just a little bigger and voila, you are up to 30-40 yards without going anywhere near a full golf swing.
I had a 50 yarder the other day and didn't fancy it one bit. So, I played "safe" and just hit a regular 30-40 yard style shot except with a 9 iron. It went about 50 yards and I holed the par putt. (Vig/Dave and I both parred the S.I. 1 with one putt each) If I'd tried a bigger swing with a GW or SW it would have been risky or if I'd used a 7 or 8 iron, I'd have landed it short of the green and then, you run into too many variables.
If you can pitch it 20 yards with a very small swing, getting to 30-40 ought to be just a little practice.
I think many of the troubles come from using very lofted clubs t.b.h. I only use a SW (or similar) if I have to. Otherwise, I just use my imagination.

 

[drawboy]

Set the ball up a couple of inches right of centre, keep your hands in front of the ball throughout the swing (never level or behind, that is a recipe for disaster) then swing back and through the same distance. That's it but I must stress keeping the hands ahead of the ball to prevent scooping.

 

[chrisd]

Set the ball up a couple of inches right of centre, keep your hands in front of the ball throughout the swing (never level or behind, that is a recipe for disaster) then swing back and through the same distance. That's it but I must stress keeping the hands ahead of the ball to prevent scooping.

Asolutely agree, but also you must must must accelerate through impact, no matter how long or short the backswing


Chris

 

[drawboy]

Agreed, thank you.

 

[USER1999]

The Cooden picture is what I do. Feet together but a bit open, hands forward, ball back in stance, accelerate through, KEEP HEAD DOWN, and don't look up.

Simples.

 

[sawtooth]

Sneds, I dont do anything different, to me a pitch is a normal shot with a wedge but with a shortened swing.

If you are hitting it fat it could be a few things, maybe its one of the following:_

a) you are taking the club back too far (full shot) and you may be decelerating on your downswing.

b) your left arm may be bent at address and it straightens in your downswing therefore taking a divot before the ball.

c) Angle of attack too steep, perhaps stabbing at the ball.

My advice is to address the ball normally as per a full swing with the wedge. You vary the distance with a combination of choking down on the club and/or curtailing your backswing.

I try to keep it rhythmic by going back and through the same amount. So if I go back 3/4 and I go through 3/4. No need to hit down on it any more than you would do and accelerate smoothly through the downswing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I find I need to work at it regularly as it is very much a confidence shot for me. I've not spent anytime on it lately and hit a few fat ones yesterday from around the 40-60 yard mark.